LET ME CLEAR MY THROAT...

12-31-99 BSN (Before Social Networking Sites) to 12-31-09

Mel — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 04:00:00 GMT

Before social networking sites I, like many of you, probably lived in a vacuum. My thoughts were my own and if I wanted to know what other people were thinking on any given topic, as a member of the CBS Network affiliate "press corps" I would just ask.

The answers came back in the form of what we in the media called MOS (Man on the street) and we, The Fourth Estate, as we were affectionately known thought the unscientific poll was the best way to share with the world what our neighbors were thinking and feeling.

And then came Y2K...At the time, we thought the Y2K bug was going to change life as we knew it. It was alleged that when the date rolled over to 01-01-00 computers everywhere wouldn't understand the date to be 2000 but rather 1900 and the computer's memory would be wiped out.

Remember how computer programmers worldwide worked feverishly to fix "the bug" in an effort to make sure all our data would remain safe.

We thought planes would drop out of the sky, trains would come to screeching halt and traffic lights would go haywire. Since many of us weren't born before 1900, shudder the thought, we all believed we would cease to exist.

Well 2-0-0-0-oops-out-of-time came and went and without a blip. It was safe to turn on the computer again. But was it really "Safe"? "Safe" was subjective at least if you were a member of mainstream media because when we did turn on our PCs, slowly but surely social message boards such as Corona Productions-Coming Attractions for movie geeks, BlackVoices.com for people of color, Xanga.com which seemed to be the meeting place for Asians became the gathering place to exchange ideals, long-held beliefs,, news and opinions.

The Y2K bug did indeed occur but it came in the form of a virus that caused epidemic levels of not what we originally feared which was loss of information but instead widespread awareness.

The world became smaller; segregated not by ethnic groups, age, religion or even language but rather ideology. Screen names and avatars replaced photos and with our new on-line persona we found people who believed in what we believed and we formed coalitions.

Instead of our knowledge base shrinking these early social networking sites allowed our knowledge base to expand. If we wanted to participate in these online social networks that were springing up, if we wanted "to be cool" in yet another world we were forced to evaluate our belief system.

You see we couldn't fake our long-held beliefs on-line because our only way of communicating was through our words. The way we structured our sentences told our story...The way our story read determined our "group". Harsh? Yes and No. On-line forums are open to everyone and it is possible to "Get in, where you fit in" and no one is relegated to any one group for long. As we've come to realize in the social networking world "our aptitude and attitude determines our altitude"

As a result of our inherent need to be accepted, for the second time in as many millennium we've learned again <i>the earth is not flat and the sun does not revolve around the earth.</i> It is shattering the ignorance and exploding myths that allows for us to emerge through the darkness and stand on equal footing.

Although Social Networking is still its infancy, and many of us are not quite sure what to do with this new found knowledge and transfer of thought...We no longer need the Fourth Estate to tell us what is going on in the world or even our own back yard. In this first decade of the new millennium, we have used Social Networking as a cyber "town hall"; we've used it to elect a President who promised us change. We have used Social Networking sites to mourn the loss of icons, heroes and even people we've never known until they passed in a tragic way.

At the dawn of a new decade 01-01-10, Social Networking can now take its rightful place as The Fifth Estate. No one speaks for us, we are now our own voice. Tonight, as I write this I just wonder - will anyone listen to us Tomorrow?

2009 (c) Mel Hopkins

Defending those who defend our country

Mel — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:41:00 GMT

LAZY BLACKS??

Mel — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:17:00 GMT

While waiting for crew scheduling to call this morning (My day-job is flight attendant), I took the opportunity to go through the blogs I've subscribed to in my Google Reader. Now since I don't do this often, I had more than 200+ blogs to scroll through. So as I was scanning I would pause at key phrases that caught my attention. one such blog "The Truth" stated that "Bloomberg says we need more immigrants because they work harder than poor blacks."Now I doubt that Bloomberg actually said that, but you know what - I'm going to go out on a limb and say I agree.

We are the only ethnic group that goes into debt to attend college (when we go) so that we can get a job with a corporation. No one ever got rich working for someone else. Therefore why do we pay for the privilege to get educated to make someone else rich?

Does that make sense?

Back in the day we owned our own vegetable markets, we were butchers, we owned our own distribution systems including trucking. We used to do Sou-sou banking to fund our entrepreneurial dreams. Unfortunately overtime we let mainstream bankers scare us into believing we would get ripped off participating in the Sou-Sou...

Funny, I think the banking fees are a rip off.

But I digress, we are too lazy to take the chance and fund our own dreams.Now maybe I'm a little to passionate about the "good ole days" but I remember it as a time when Blacks were on sure-footing and controlled their own destiny. It was a time before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 when segregation prevented Blacks from participating in mainstream activity so we made our "fortune" on the "Chitlin' Circuit".

If Bloomberg says Blacks are lazy, I agree but for different reasons. He probably is longing for the day when blacks would clean his home and care for his children not I. I agree we are lazy because we refuse to do the heavy lifting to work to become self-sufficient again.

What say you?

FOCUS AND DETERMINATION

Mel — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 03:40:00 GMT

I felt like Madea <---- over there after reading a man had given up on his dreams. He wrote ,"No matter how bad you want something if it isn't in God's plans it isn't going to happen." WAAAA I thought as I reached for the duct tape to wrap up my head to keep it from exploding.

I don't know who your higher power is but it certainly isn't the God of Love". We don't play I AM cheap in my world. I AM promised we can do all things through Christ and I for one believe it...In fact I live it.

If your dreams aren't coming to fruition, please don't blame I AM by saying it isn't I AM's will for you to have what your heart desires. What parent wouldn't do anything and everything in his/her power to help a child's dream come true? None! (Ok maybe the deadbeat parents wouldn't, but that's for another post.)

However, I AM rejoices in our triumphs for we reflect I AM's greatness right here on earth even if it’s an infinitesimal amount.

I AM loves Its creation so very much that I AM has given us humans the greatest gift ever - Free Will combined with Grace...and with that generous gift we can achieve greatness.

"If this is true" you are probably thinking “then why aren’t my dreams coming true?” you ask.

It's simple; you've taken your focus off of your dream.

Often times we lose focus of our goal and replace it with a new one before we've even finished that task at hand. We don't do it intentionally but because we are created in the image of I AM we can conjure up all kinds of thoughts instead of focusing on one thing at a time. We start day dreaming and forget about our current mission...and all of sudden our goal moves out of our reach. It doesn't have to be that way. We can achieve our heart's desire. I AM left basic instructions to show us how we can accomplish our goals.

I'm often reminded of the creative process as it is illustrated in the scriptures. In Genesis, I AM said "Let there be Light"and then light pushed out the darkness (ok so I am paraphrasing - don't get so caught up in semantics - FOCUS!). I AM said "that is good." I AM then move to the next goal.

Do you see a pattern?

...I AM didn't say "oooh, I'll do this light thing and then it will be so bright that maybe I'll get a tan...and then I will…blah blah.

No!

There was thought, word, action followed by peace and contemplation between each goal.

So before you throw up your hands and say I AM doesn't want you to have your desire...Stop, look and see what you've attached to that singular goal.

Have you attached to the goal - all the money you are going to make; all the people who will be impressed; how much money you will be able to tithe when you accomplish this one goal. If that's the case, then you have taken your eye off the goal and you are wandering in the wilderness without direction.

Go back to the genesis of your idea, focus on it and be determined to achieve that one goal. You will succeed. How can you not? After all you have the best heavenly parent in the universe and just like your earthly parents not one wants you to fail.

WHO'S THAT LADY

Mel — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 00:03:00 GMT

On President Obama’s visit to Canada in February, you may have noticed this woman who greeted him upon his arrival. Do you know her official title and position?

President Barack Obama and Canadian Governor General Michaelle Jean

walk across the tarmac following his arrival in Ottawa , Canada , Thursday, Feb. 19, 2009.

Meet The Right Honourable, Michaelle Jean, Governor General of Canada.

Her Excellency, Michaelle Jean is Canada's first Black Governor General.

Executive power of Canada

The Governor General of Canada is the vice-regal or viceroy representative in Canada of the Queen of Canada, who is the head of state. A viceroy is a royal official who governs a country in the name of and as representative of the monarch. Canada is one of sixteen British Commonwealth realms, all of which share the British monarch, Elizabeth II as their royal leader.

Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada, is the sovereign and Head of State of Canada, and gives repository of executive power, judicial and legislative power; as expressed in Constitution of Canada:

The monarch appoints the Governor General on the advice of the Canadian Prime Minister, currently Stephen Harper, who is the Canadian Head of Government, after which the Governor General maintains direct contact with the British monarch. There is no specific term. Her Excellency Michelle Jean has been Governor General of Canada since September 27, 2005. From Wikipedia

Governor General Michaelle Jean and Prime Minister Stephen Harper

President Barack Obama and Canadian Governor General Michaelle Jean
chat during a meeting following his arrival in Ottawa, Canada, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2009.

Governor General of Canada in Ottawa , Canada .

Parliament of Canada

Her Excellency, Michaëlle Jean (born September 6, 1957, in Port-au-Prince , Haiti ) is the current Governor General of Canada . Jean was appointed by Queen Elizabeth II, on the recommendation of Prime Minister Paul Martin, to succeed Adrienne Clarkson and become the 27th Governor General of Canada since Confederation in 1867.

Prior to this, Jean was a journalist and broadcaster on Radio-Canada and the CBC. As the current Governor General of Canada , she is entitled to be styled Her Excellency while in office, and The Right Honourable for life; given current practice, she will be sworn in to the Queen's Privy Council for Canada after her term as the Queen's representative has ended.

Jean fled Haiti with her family from dictator François Duvalier's regime in 1968. Her father, from whom she was estranged for many years, was a philosopher who was tortured under Duvalier's regime and separated from the family for 30 years. The Jean family settled at Thetford Mines , Quebec ..

As a student at the University of Montreal , Jean received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Italian and Hispanic languages and literature and, from 1984 until 1986, taught Italian studies while completing a Master of Arts degree in comparative literature. Jean attended the University of Florence , the University of Perugia , and the Catholic University of Milan to continue her studies in language and literature. Besides French and English, Jean is fluent in Spanish, Italian, and Haitian Creole and can read Portuguese.

Inspired by an E-mail forward -MH, Editor

HANCOCK: SUPERHEROES GET LONELY TOO. SPOILERS

Mel — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 12:51:00 GMT

Will Smith as HANCOCK

SPOILER ALERT

Despite Sony Pictures' attempt to produce and market an action comedy, "Hancock" has a hard time betraying its roots which is that of Egyptian mythology with tragic consequences.

In the first five minutes we learn that John Hancock is a superhero with a bad attitude - and its fun watching him literally tear up Los Angeles in the pursuit of the "bad guys" because that's believable . Think about what happens to your house when you are trying to swat a fly
-it ain't pretty right? Yes, when you are pursuit of a pest, things will get wrecked...but because Will Smith is an accomplished actor you quickly realize that's not what "Hancock" the movie is about. Smith, through his actions, makes you realize he is a heartbroken superhero and the pest he is truly pursuing is the
answer to the age-old often-asked question why is he unlovable...

Which of course makes it laughable that Hancock saves the life of Public Relations consultant Ray Embrey (Jason Bateman) who in turn wants to help Hancock with his "image" in an effort to win love and adoration. Embrey (Bateman) does help Hancock. However not as he intended but by symbolically helping Hancock find himself - well actually Hancock's other half ; his soulmate, Mary Embrey (Charlize Theron)

It's through acting skills acting of both Smith and Theron that you quickly realize that there is more depth to this movie than the producers are willing to bring to the surface...but that doesn't stop Smith and Theron from playing it like its 'written', especially from the moment they first appear on the screen together. At that moment, there is an undeniable look of familiarity - more than just sexual chemistry but a look that reveals a bond that rest on a foundation of love millennial in the making.

But that's where the story becomes tragic because it seems to be the writers belief that "the sum of its parts isn't greater than the whole, but lessor"...It is the same theory that plays out in the story of the Egyptian High Priestess Isis and her beloved Osiris who she attempts to bring back from the dead.

When these two "immortals" (Smith/Theron) rejoin one or both will lose their power - (how's that for an unfortunate metaphor on soul mate marriages.)

Awhile back I wrote a blog asking why alpha males and alpha females seem to opt for weaker mates instead of their equals.

"Hancock" the movie answers the question...

OOPS, THEY DID IT AGAIN

Mel — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 22:38:00 GMT

While testifying before the federal grand jury on August 17, 1998 regarding his alleged affair with Monica Lewinsky, former president Bill Clinton had a moment of Zen when he offered testimony defending his response denying "sexual relations with that woman, Ms Lewinsky."

President Clinton said:

"It depends on what the meaning of the word 'is' is. If the--if he--if 'is' means is and never has been, that is not--that is one thing. If it means there is none, that was a completely true statement....Now, if someone had asked me on that day, are you having any kind of sexual relations with Ms. Lewinsky, that is, asked me a question in the present tense, I would have said no. And it would have been completely true."

Because of his existential response, lovers engaging in extramarital affairs the world over would never again have to admit to adultery unless they were caught in the act.

Fast forward to almost 10 years after that infamous testimony and we now have the former president's wife, Senator Hillary Clinton, joining her husband in changing the landscape of our dialect. This time, determining professional work experience comes under scrutiny.

At the vibrant age of 60, Senator Clinton is claiming 35 years professional experience in politics. This would include the work experience gained since she was 25 years of age or 26 (give or take a year) until the present.

Maybe it doesn’t matter that she was first elected to the U.S. Senate in the year 2000. By my calculation that is about 10 years professional political experience for Senator Clinton including about 2 years of campaigning . That leaves 25 years for which are unaccounted.

Now if Senator Clinton believes it's fair to pad her political resume with her years of experience as a corporate attorney then I counter that office politics doesn't count. Not even if she was successful at making partner. Another on-the-job experience disqualifier is “wife of" governor, or "wife of" president.

I was the wife of a plumber but trust; you don't want me anywhere near your pipes.

So what "Is" a qualifier for Senator Clinton’s political work experience? Oh wait, we already had this public discussion; our 42nd President laid the foundation when he said “It depends on what the meaning of the word 'is' is"

FAILING THE BEST AND THE BRIGHTEST

Mel — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 19:13:00 GMT

I heard an alarming statistic Sunday morning (10/07/07) while watching Tony Browns Journal

Brown quoted from the TIME Magazine article "ARE WE FAILING OUR GENIUSES " that "40 percent of the top 5% of high school students never finish college." A great portion of those geniuses become jaded with the educational system.

This statistic should be of concern to each one of us because there could be geniuses in our families, especially those of us who are black with "baby" geniuses in the family.

I find most black people don't know how to recognize genius in their children and they tend to stifle them. If you are not a genius but gave birth to one how would you know how to nurture a genius, right?

Well first thing is admitting that it's ok to be a "smarty pants" and stop making the child feel like an alien! (oops, sorry old wound )

Ok maybe I'm being too hard on black people. People in general don't like it when smart people flaunt their knowledge anyway - but in the black community that is one quirk we can't afford to emulate.

When most people think geniuses, they think Ted Kaczynski -the unabomber or some kid locked in a room somewhere with glasses and pocket pen protectors building nuclear bombs.

NOPE!!!

We are just what some called autodidacts (self-taught)... and that's the first step to recognizing genius -

If you find yourself constantly asking how you or your "baby" learned something such as s/he taught him/herself to read or learned:

the subway system
to tie shoes
to write
Geometry/Algebra/Calculus
to speak Japanese
to play a musical instrument.

or learn anything that the general population waits for someone else to teach them - then you or your "baby" most likely has genius level IQ.

Have your "babies" tested if they are showing any signs of genius. If they go to public school you can request for them to be tested.
But trust me, the administrators are not going to make it easy for you - you will have to insist.

Or you can pay for it yourself...Some of the tests my "babies" took were the Stanford -Binet IQ and the Wechsler Intelligence test. Both are a widely respected test that measure IQ as early as kindergarten age.

If your baby's IQ is between 125 -155, then the public school system will be a challenge for him or her because the curriculum is not set up for the academically gifted.

In fact, thanks to "The No Child left behind" act, your "baby" genius will be forced to learn at the pace of the slowest learner.

According to the TIME Magazine article "ARE WE FAILING OUR GENIUS"   "No child left behind act", drafted during the Reagan Administration and made into policy by 2002, took away money from gifted and talented programs and put more money into educating the mentally-challenged...

That's unfair because there is so much more we can do with our academically gifted and talented then just give them the bare minimum to succeed.

I believe in taking care of our weakest in society but not at the expense of our intellectually & academically gifted. You have to challenge intellect just like an athlete has to practice in an effort to excel on the field or court.

"Use or lose it!"

I was in NYC's top ten percent of the academic elite and fortunate enough to test out of the normal public school system when I was 13. My oldest tested out of mainstream education in Kindergarten and the oldest twin tested out of mainstream in the sixth grade and into gifted and talented program.   But most academically gifted students usually get run over by the educational system and their intellectual and academic abilities are never developed or encouraged in the home or in the school.

But you can do your part to make sure your "baby" genius doesn't get" LEFT OUT."

First, you can read the TIME Magazine article.

Second, let your "babies" know that even if no one likes a "smarty pants" - everyone is glad to have the "smarty pants" around when they need information.

Thursday, Aug. 16, 2007

Are We Failing Our Geniuses?

By John Cloud

....our education system has little idea how to cultivate its most promising students.

Since well before the Bush Administration began using the impossibly sunny term "no child left behind," those who write education policy in the U.S. have worried most about kids at the bottom, stragglers of impoverished means or IQs.

But surprisingly, gifted students drop out at the same rates as nongifted kids--about 5% of both populations leave school early.

Later in life, according to the scholarly Handbook of Gifted Education, up to one-fifth of dropouts test in the gifted range.

Earlier this year, Patrick Gonzales of the U.S. Department of Education presented a paper showing that the highest-achieving students in six other countries, including Japan, Hungary and Singapore, scored significantly higher in math than their bright U.S. counterparts, who scored about the same as the Estonians.

Which all suggests we may be squandering a national resource: our best young minds.

Find this article at:

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1653653,00.html

LADIES FIRST?

Mel — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 18:55:00 GMT

I had this theory that the Y chromosome was actually an congenital defect but never did I think the Y chromosome became that way through evolution. After some external prompts I did a bit of investigation and Sure enough, according to published reports It was FIRST X then Y ..."ain't" that something?

DISCLAIMER: THE FOLLOWING IS COLLECTED FROM THREE DIFFERENT WEB SITES - I DID NOT DO THE RESEARCH - I ONLY COPIED IT!

The Origin of the Sex Chromosomes.
http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/stories/s63100.htm

Research published in this week's Science reveals that the Y chromosome developed from an X-like ancestor around 300 million years ago.

Researchers at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute have found that the X and Y chromosomes evolved from a standard identical pair around 300 million years ago - shortly after the divergence of the evolutionary lines leading to mammals and birds.

"By fossil digging on the sex chromosomes, we were able to reconstruct the four events that drove sex chromosomes into their distinctive X and Y forms, and to date when these events occurred during evolution," says Lahn. "The farther back in time we look, the more similar X and Y appear, boosting the theory that they arose from a pair of identical autosomes."

Today the X is still home to thousands of genes, but the Y has only a measly few dozen. Nevertheless, many genes on the human Y chromosome have homologues (analogous genes) on the X chromosome. The presence of these X-Y genes reinforces the idea that the Y chromosome developed from an X-like ancestor.

But wait! Poor Y can't exist on its own
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1511/is_n2_v16/ai_16051165

...human embryos with a single sex chromosome will continue to develop if--and only if--that chromosome is an X. If a fertilized egg is somehow stuck with a Y chromosome and no X, it's out of luck. The embryo self-destructs very early in development. Put plainly, the Y just doesn't have the resources that human development, male or female, requires. The X chromosome does. Embryos bearing a single X chromosome can develop into healthy (albeit infertile) adults.

BATTLE OF THE SEXES IS REAL?

X vs. Y: The Y-chromosome already looks tiny and weak
compared to the X-chromosome.

http://www.exitmundi.nl/giggle.htm

"On Y, you'll also find stuff that is harmful to women. For example: sperm contains chemicals that attack the woman's body. Really! Semen comes with chemicals that shut down the woman's immune system, so that it can make it into the womb alive.

That's why X, the female chromosome, hates Y. In response, X is constantly throwing all kinds of wicked chemicals at Y. X is killing Y.

Take a look through the microscope, and you can immediately see Y is in trouble. Y is a tiny, crumpled chromosome -- not exactly a proud symbol of manliness. Ever since Y split off from the other chromosomes, some 300 million years ago, its number of genes went down from about 1,000 to 80. How did it ever get so tiny? You guessed it: that's because of the female chromosome's attacks.

Perhaps the most spine-chilling clue comes from the men. As we speak, 1 to 2 percent of all men is infertile because of a malfunctioning Y-chromosome! That doesn't seem like much, but it is an astonishing number, because the defects cannot have been inherited (because they lead to infertility). So in other words: 1 to 2 percent of all men have their Y-chromosome disabled during their life!

Check out the links. It's great insight on sex chromosomes.

WAS BILL SET UP? THE NO-SPIN FACTOR.

Mel — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 19:36:00 GMT

If the hyperlink doesn't work please cut and paste in your browser. You will want to hear this:

http://www.billoreilly.com/blog?action=viewBlog&blogID=-514007249730622364

When you listen to what Bill O'Reilly said about Sylvia's restaurant(Harlem, NY) in his Radio Show and what media REPORTED he said...you have to wonder why Bill O'Reilly got black-listed? (no pun intended)

Maybe Bill's archived aircheck was edited but when Bill blames white media, and white CEOs for promoting gangster rap - you have to know his days are numbered.

His days may have been numbered when the woman was trotted out as his spurned lover. But you know in this day and age, infidelity isn't enough to make you become the most hated man in America. Nope, you have to kill a few dogs or come under fire of racial insensitivity before you become victim to blowback...

Can anyone say "nappy headed-'hos" 20 Million-dollar man Don IMUS?

Anyway - please listen here

A LIFE CUT SHORT

Mel — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 18:42:00 GMT

My heart is heavy.
A young life full of promise was cut short ...the body found today in Calumet City, IL is that of 28 year-old Nailah Franklin. She was the Chicago woman who went missing on September 18th. If you go to her myspace page you will see that this beautiful young woman was so full of life....

NAILAH O. FRANKLIN

May you find peace and rest with the Most High

SOME CALL IT RACISM, I CALL IT A DISTRACTION

Mel — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 19:54:00 GMT

The U.S. has civil rights laws to remedy discrimination, but unless I'm mistaken, there are no laws on the books to remedy "racism." (Is there a Civil Rights attorney in the house?)

There may be laws that allow "race" to be considered as a factor in an anti-discrimination law suit. "Race" is among the items considered in hate-crimes law but that is the extent of the protection, there is no remedy for "racism."

And that is important because once again the "magician" has caused black Americans to focus their attention with the sleight of its hand, on racism which has no redress, and off its main activity -

one of which could be

systematically destroying the civil rights of one of the groups considered a protected class possibly in an effort to deny civil rights to everyone eventually.

Or ,

to continue to use the only ethnic group that was brought to the U.S. as slaves, to support the U.S. economy.

Try to answer these questions as an objective observer:

~Why would someone treat a me differently because of the color of my skin?
~What does someone have to gain ($$$) by treating me differently?
~How deep does this alleged hatred for my people go, How is it allowed to continue?
~When did this alleged and systemic hatred for black Americans begin?
~Who IS this alleged hater?
~Where is the alleged hatred most prevalent? Is every black American hated equally?

I'm sure you can ask other questions that would lead to other answers but this is beginning of critical thinking.

Here's what I've come up with:

If a group remains undereducated; then there is money to be made in education and in the lack of educated individuals in that group.

If a group continues to be disproportionately unhealthy; there is money to be made in healthcare,

If a group is denied housing in a location where there is adequate infrastructure (sanitation,education safety, retail grocery et al); then there is money to be made in security, law enforcement, and in the penal institution.

If a group is denied access to conventional loans; there is money to be made in sub-prime lending,

If a group is made to feel inferior; then the group will attempt to cover up its inferiority with bling, cars they can't afford, rentals or mortgages; then the credit industry is supported on the backs of those who can least afford credit...

The list continues, but it is obvious there is serious economic benefit to discrimination.

If you can see from that perspective, wouldn't that mean that black Americans continue to be institutional slaves today but worse off than when slavery actually ended?

Take a look at these stats from "Racism, Food and Health"

In 1865, shortly after Lincoln freed the slaves (my emphasis -slavery ended), blacks owned 0.5 percent of the nation's net wealth. In 1990, a quarter-century after the civil rights legislation of the 1960's had become law, despite the wealth of a handful of black athletes and entertainers such as Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, Bill Cosby and Oprah Winfrey, the percentage of the nation's net worth owned by blacks still totaled just 1 percent.

Today, the median annual family income for whites is approximately $47,000, while for African-Americans it's $26,000.

In 1910, black Americans owned at least 15 million acres of farmland, nearly all of it in the South, according to the U.S. Agricultural Census. Today, blacks own only 1.1 million acres of farmland and are part owners of another 1 million acres.

Still black Americans are quick to cry "RACISM" because it's easier than tackling the issues I have raised.

Claiming racism is a reaction to an act that is perceived unjust... When one cries racism (s)he is seeking justice from an outside source..In short, the onus is put on someone else to come up with a just solution.

Therefore, reaction is always easier, than it is to act...or actuate,

Webster's New Riverside Dictionary
ACTUATE: To put into action or motion. To stimulate : motivate

If you REACT, that means you've let someone set the agenda and you are now responding to that agenda.

Webster's New Riverside Dictionary
REACT: To act in response to a stimulus. To act in opposition.

Let me let you in on a secret - if you always find yourself in REACTIONARY mode you are being used like a pawn in a grand game of chess.

You are enabling your oppressors. You are allowing your oppressor to "rent space in your head." Since your oppressor has already provided the stimulus - then the oppressor knows how you are going to respond.

If, instead, you're an ACTUATOR; then you are used to gathering information, planning how to use that information , plotting out the best course of action and executing your plan.

And in doing so you make up the rules, you pick the battlefield and you take charge of what happens in your life, your community and if you are really successful, the world...

You are never at the mercy of an oppressor's activity because you are already on a course and are committed to staying that course.

When black Americans are ready to take action and become Actuators in their communities, they will begin to think critically and productively. They will use the information gathered and also utilize this social construct called "racism" in a way that strengthens their own plan for building up communities as opposed to distracting them from their goals.

Goals that would include removing themselves from the bondage of institutional slavery.

But first, black Americans have to stop being willing participants, in what US Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas called a "high-tech lynching."

I won't make the loop or tie the knot for my hanging - therefore I refuse to give my attention to "racism."

It's time for critical thinking, learning, teaching and ACTUATION. (c)2007 Mel Hopkins

Attention: derived from the Latin root

meaning "to reach out" : "to stretch out" mental "reaching out; extension of mental energy."

The Last Testament

Mel — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 16:52:00 GMT

There's a maxim in Journalism that I live my life by and it is:

"YOU ARE ONLY AS GOOD AS YOUR LAST STORY"

And if you think about it, that is quite a humbling thought that will definitely keep you motivated to do your best, everyday. No matter what I do, no matter how grand it WAS, my accomplishments are only as good as that last story. If I were to take my last breath - that last story would be my legacy... And so every day I get up, I work to make it count - no matter what...whether it be love, kindness, charity, learning, work even a stinging word or a good swift kick to someone who may need it. Have you ever thought about your last accomplishment - was it a good one? Are you happy with it? If not and since you got the opportunity to draw another breath today do something better or just DO SOMETHING!

We never know what our "Last Story" may be, we never even know when our last story may "air" or "run" but one thing we do know -

"WE ARE ONLY AS GOOD AS OUR LAST STORY"

Here's to making it a great one!